Defiberizing machine



93 w. G. HAGMAIER ET AL 1,387,728

DEFIBERIZING MACHINE Filed Feb. 27, 1930 Patented Nev. 15, 1932 siren stares PATENT on-Ice GONSIN, ASSIGNORS T ALLIS-CHALMERS MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF MILE WAUKEE, ISCONSIN, A QQ-BPORATION 0F DELAWARE e nnrrnnnrzme- MACHINE i 7 Application filed February 27, 1930. i Serial No. 431,698.

The present invention relates to improvements in the construction of defiberizing machines of the general type wherein slabs or legs of fibrous material such as wood, are fed longitudinally of their grain in contact with a plurality of rapidly moving defiberizing points carried by a'rotor revolving at high speed.

A general object of the invention is to provide an efiicient defiberizing machine of relatively compact and durable construction, wherein the defiberizing points are conveniently renewable. V

A more specific object of the invention is to provide improvements which are especially applicable to defiberizing machines of the type disclosed generally inAicher & McMili lan Patent 1,476,082, granted December 4;, 1923. V The present invention contemplates improvements in rotor structures for machines of the general type shown in this pat-- ent, wherein slabs or logs of the solid fibrous material are fed longitudinally of their grain in contaotwith the points of rapidly moving defiberizing needles pivotally associated with a rotor revolving at high speed. In accord ance with the improvement, the needles are SIJGCHIllYJQOUIltGCl and constructed so as to enhance their durabil ty and to reducethe to effectively support the needles while permitting convenient application and removal of the individual needles. 7

Some of the novel features of U-shaped needle construction, disclosed but not specifically claimec herein, form the subject of a copending application filed by lVilliain G. Hagmaier on February 2%,1930, Serial No. 430,548. g v i Aclear conception of an embodiment of the novel features of the present invention and of the mode of constructing and operating machines built in accordance therewith,'may be h d by referring to the drawing accompanyforming a part of this specification .hich lilre ref rence characters designate tl e same or similar parts in the several views. 1 is a pa t sectional si elevation of a two-rotor defiberizing mach he of the needle type, embodying the pres invention.

cost of construction, and the rotor is formed Fig. 2 is an enlarged endview one of the improved rotors.

Fig. Sis an enlarged fragmentary longitudinal sectionthrough the rotor shown in Fig.2; H v

The improved defiberizing machine specifically illustrated inthe drawing comprises in general a pair of rotors 2 each mounted upon a horizontal main shaft 3 and providing a support for a plurality of radiating U-shaped needles 4; and a carriage 7 for presenting slabs or logs 8 of-fibrous material to the points of the needles 4 as the rotor 2 is revolved at high speed; The rotor supporting shafts 3 arev mounted in bearings 11 movably supported upon. a main frame 10, these bearingsbeing vertically adjustable" by means of jack screws 12 so as to vary the eifective needle point lengths. Each of the rotors 2 is adanted to be revolved independently of the other and at relatively high speed, by means of an electric motor 1 1' cooperating with the corresponding rotor shaft 3, through a belt drive 13, and the rotors2 are preferably revolved in opposite directions so that the effective points of the needles 4 of the two rotors, approach eachother at the tops of the rotors. I I r V l The carriage 7 is provided with supporting wheels 16 coasting with rails 17, and is .reciprocable over a horizontal top plate 6having elongated transverse openings through ,which the points of the needles 4 are movable to cooperate with the under sidesjof the logs 8 which are confined within the carriage? and whichrest by gravity upon the topplate 6.

Thecarriage 7 is movable between sets of buffers 23 by means of a connecting link 18 secured to aset of continuously movable enolless chains 19 by a pivotal connection, the chains 19 being constantly driven by an electric motor 22 through a belt drive 21 and a speed reducing chain drive 20. ,The move-' ment of the carriage 7 is relatively slow as compared to; theperipheral speed of the rotors 2, the latter being operable at approxiof a part of mately the speed of the motors 14, and the former being operable atconsiderably slower speed thanthat of the =m0tor 19, by'virtue of the intervening speed reductions.

The rotors 2 are housed within a fiber collecting chamber 9 disposed beneath the top plate 6 and formed'by transverse walls 24 connecting the opposite sides of the frame 10, and are adapted to deliver thefiber as produced, into the chamber 9 from which the fiber is discharged through a lower conduit 15 by suction produced with a fan or the like. Each of the rotors 2 is provided with a series of annular disks 5 preferably formed'of rubber or other flexible material, the successive disks 5 being spaced apart by means of spacers 25 and having openings 26 therethrough located inwardly of the disk periphery. The openings 26 in alternate disks 5 are alined, but the openings 26 in adjacent disks are staggered as shown inFigs. 2 and 3. The U- shaped needles 4- are pivotally associated with the flexible disks 5 at'the openings 25, and are adapted to swing freely in planes parallel to the disks and perpendicular to the axis of the shaft 5, while being resiliently restrained against side displacement by the peripheral portions of the disks 5 which extend a considerable distance awa 'irom the rotoraxisand between the bifurcations or tines of the needles 4. The disks 5 and spacb means of a dowel in or a ke 1 in an obvious manner.

During normal operation of the clefiberizing machine, the rotors 2'are being rapidly revolved in opposite directions within the chamber 9 beneath the top plate 6, by m ans of the electric motors i l, and logsS disposed within the carriage '7 are being rec'procated longitudinally of their grain, over the transverseopenings in the plate 6193' means or carriage reciprocating mechanism. 7 As -.e successive points of r the needles .4 rake through the lower portions of the i0 8, they comb out thefiber and deliver same to the collectingchamber 9 and V pipe 15 from which the fiber is automatically removed by fsuction. When the needles lengage: a relatively hard portion of a log 8, they may swing freelywithin the plvot openings 260i the disks 5, so as to clear the hard port1on.- The needles 4: may even deflect laterally, that is, longitudinally of the rotor 2, by-virtue of the flex bility the disks 5, thus preventing breakage of the needles.

The rubber disks 5 ar preterably'reinforced with fabric or metal screening, so as to preventthe needles '4 from pulling or through the peripheral portions oi": the 1s 5. Due tothe lateral flexibility of the disks 5, the needles l maybe'readily inserted and r removed from the openings 26 by merely bending the peripheral portions or" the disks 5 so as to permit the U-shaped needles 4. to be applied to or removed from the openings to the disch rge 26. By staggering the openings 26 in the successive disks 5, the needles 4; supported by the successive disks will have greater freedom of swinging without interfering with the needles of adjacent disks, than would resisting qualities, also enhances the life of the rotor, and t 1e outwardly projecting peripheral portions of the disks 5 located be tween the tines of each needle t, will also a d in preventing interference or" the needles supported by adjacent disks 5.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that the present invention provides a relatively simple and durable needle structure and an effective mounting therefor which permits convenient applicationand removal 0% the needles a. The mounting of the needles is such as to protect the same against injury and the entire structure may be manufactured relatively low cost.

It should be understood that itis not desired to limit the invention to the exact details of construction and to the precise mode oi operation of machines such as heren shown described, for various modifications within the scope of the claims mayo'ccur to persons skilled in the art. a

It is claimed and desired to secure by Let ters Patent:

1. Apparatus for reducing fibrous bodies to a mass of separated fibrous particles, in-

cluding a rotor comprising a plurality of spaced, resiliently flexible, disk-like supports disposed side .by side with their general planes extending substantially perpendicular to the axis of said rotor, and a plurality of yieldable defiberizing elements carried by each of said supports.

2. Apparatus for reducing fibrous bodies to a mass of separated fibrous particles, including a rotor comprising a plurality of resiliently flem'ble rubber supports disposed side by side in the general direction of the axis of said rotor and a plurality of defiberizing needles pivotally associated with each or said supports. 2 '7 3. In a defiberizer, a rotor comprising a plurality of resiliently fiexibledisks disposed side by side in the direction of the axis of said rotor, and a plurality of circumferentially spaced needles pivotally associated with each of said disks.

4. In a defiberizer, a rotor comprising a series of laterally del'lectable sheet-like supports disposed in planes substantially: perbeyond the adjacent disk lar to the axis of said rotor, and an annular series of needles pivotally associated with each of said disks.

6. In a defiberizer, a rotor comprising a series of laterally spaced and deflectable disks, the openings of adjacent disks being staggered, and a needle pivotally associated with each of said openings.

7. In a defiberizer, series of laterally spaced disks having deflectable portions provided with openings therethrough a substantial distance inwardly of the disk peripheries, and a plurality of U-shaped needles pivotally associated with said openings.

8. In a defiberizer, a rotor comprising a series of disks having laterally deflectable peripheral portions provided with openings disposed a substantial distance inwardly of the disk peripheries, and a U-shaped needle pivotally associated with each of said openings and having points projecting outwardly periphery.

9. In a defiberizer, a rotor comprising a plurality of disks, and needles pivotally and detachably associatedwith said disks, said disks being laterally deflectable to permit removal of said needles therefrom.

10. In a defiberizer, a rotor comprising a plurality of annular shaped needles pivot-ally and detachably associated with said disks, erally deflectable to permit removal of said needles therefrom.

11. In a defiberizer, a rotor comprising a plurality of laterally spaced rubber disks, and a plurality of needles pivotally associated having a pair of points located on opposite sides of the supporting disk thereof.

12. In a defiberizer, a rotor comprising a plurality of disks disposed substantiallyperpendicular to the rotor axis, and needles pivotally supported by said disks and normally radiating from said axis, each of-said needles having a pair of points lying in a plane extending longitudinally of the rotor located on opposite sides of the supporting disk thereof. 5

13. In a defiberizer, a'rotor comprising a plurality of plates disposed alongside each other and extendingaway from the rotor axis substantially perpendicular thereto, said plates having openings therethrough from one axial side thereof to the other, and a U-shaped needle passing through and pivotally supported at each of said openings, said plates extending a considerable distance out- 7 wardly between the bifurcations of each of said needles, and the latter being freely swingable parallel to the plane of said plates. In testimony whereof, the signatures of the inventors are affixed hereto.

WILLIAM G. HAGMAIER. ERNEST C. SHAW.

a rotor comprising a, 1

rubber disks, and U- i said disks being lat- I with each of said disks, each of said needles 

